The Miami Tragedy
The story of the group of cyclists hit by a cab driver on Miami’s MacArthur Parkway has of course taken the Florida cycling community by storm, but we have to do what we can as cyclists to counter the perception that this a “bicyclist safety” story. Focusing on this event as a bicyclist problem will only reinforce our culture’s belief that roadway cycling is a dangerous activity.
The average law-abiding cyclist is more likely to get skin cancer from sun exposure than to be hit by a car.
The real story here is how the State of Florida (and many other states) continue to permit tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of incompetent motorists to travel our roads. This cab driver (who fell asleep at the wheel) could have just as easily hit a police officer writing a citation, a motorist fixing a flat tire, a pedestrian in a crosswalk, or someone working along the road. On an undivided roadway he could have just as easily drifted left and killed a family in an oncoming minivan.
We are all endangered by such drivers, no matter how we travel.
All that aside, I know I can speak for all Florida Bicycle Association members, board members, and staff in wishing the victims the speediest of recoveries.
Ride strong people.
Rumbles? No. AVPMs? Yes!
Huh?
OK , in English. Effective 2009 the Florida Department of Transportation will require “Audible and Vibratory Pavement Markings” on projects widening or resurfacing rural highways (state roads only). These are a huge improvement over the ground-in rumble strips that have been installed on some highways; the ground-in rumbles are treacherous for cyclists.
AVPMs are best described with a photo (click photo to enlarge).
The dimples or ridges create a sound that cyclists can easily hear when a car tire runs on the stripe, and the sound and even vibration transmits into the car’s passenger compartment as well. The dimples or ridges will not pose a safety problem for the cyclist riding over the stripe. (A number of cyclists on FDOT staff test-rode them to be sure!)
AVPMs can also be used in urban areas where run-off-the-road crashes are a problem, such as this curve on Tuskawilla Road in Seminole County. AVPMs could mitigate the run-off problem without creating problems for cyclists as (for example) these posts and raised pavement markers do.
